Boomerang Fish's Icemark 100
by Sing a Song 119
Summary: Boomerang Fish's "Icemark 100 Prompts" challenge seems to be pretty popular. As I'm her beta  and she's mine  I decided to take a stab at them. More information inside!
1. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello everyone, and welcome to my take on Boomerang Fish's **100 Icemark Prompts!**

So, Fish is actually my beta, so she was with me every (painstaking) step of the way! (_YEAH I WAS! RIIIIGHT HERE_.)Due to this, she's decided to make notes on this author note. As you can see above, her comments are in parentheses and italics.

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><p>Before you embark on what I am sure is a crazy adventure, I have a few warnings.<p>

**1. This fic focuses on one pairing, and one pairing alone: Cressida and Octavius. If you do not like this pairing, you should probably stop reading.**Most 100 Themes fics focus on the work in general. Because I am crazy, I chose to focus it on two characters, and the relationship between them. These two characters happen to be Cressida and Octavius. Originally, there was supposed to be another fic based solely on Thirrin and Oskan, but Fish and I both agree that the planned fic was not quite working.

This pairing started off as a joke in Fish's "Icemark Inboxes". I think we were talking one day, and someone joked about how cliché it would have been to pair Cressida and Octavius together. This crazy idea took root in both our imaginations, and even became a running joke in "Inboxes".

So yeah. This is basically a crack pairing that took on a life of its own. It's "Night of the Living Crack Pairing!" (_28 Days of Crack Pairing. Shaun of the Crack Pairing. The Evil Crack Pairing. Crackpairingland. The Forest of Hands and Crack Pairings. Grab your Survival Guide._)

**2. These drabbles vary in length.** Yes, yes, I know that most prompt fics either have one chapter per prompt, or one sentence per prompt. I went in between the two. Some prompts are really, really long. Some prompts are sentence-length. It all depends on what I could come up with at the time.

**3. Beneath all the drabbles is an Author's Note concerning each specific drabble.** It started originally as a way to tell my beta what was up with each fic. Now, however, they contain useful notes for each fic. Whether you read them or not is up to you. (_Some of them also contain my jokes. I'm here all week._)

**4. Because of their lengths, the drabbles are in groups of ten, to be released once a week on Friday or Saturday.** Don't worry, though, they've all been written beforehand, so they'll always be released on time. (_Ahahaha...hehe...um..._)

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><p>Now, without further ado, please enjoy the drabbles! They did, after all, take about a month to write! (<em>Say...TWENTY EIGHT DAYS?<em>)

-Clopin


	2. Prompts 1 through 10

**1. Introduction**

The first time they "meet" is not the first time they meet. It's across a ballroom at some diplomatic something-or-other, and it's a senator who says, "Princess Cressida, may I introduce you to General Bellorum of the Southern Army?"

He smiles and says, "A pleasure, I'm sure," as if there has not been a war and bloodshed and death between them.

It takes all that she is as a princess to smile only a bit too toothily and say, "The same, I'm sure."

_NOTES: So, I imagined that if Octavius and Cressida survived the war, and the Polypontians wanted peace, they would settle their treaty in Polypontus. This takes place in some social function for the Polypontians to welcome the Icemark Alliance. AWKWARD. This is actually one of my favorites._

**2. Love**

He never tells her that he loves her, or she him. It is something in his eyes when he looks at her that says what they are both too proud to say.

_NOTES: I don't know, Octavius just doesn't seem like one to actually say what he's feeling._

**3. Calling**

All her life she has been Crown Princess of the Icemark, molded and shaped as carefully as if she were clay. She knows there are gods, and that they have set out a path for her that cannot be denied.

All his life he has been the Son of Scipio Bellorum, bred and born for the silk-edged dagger of politics and the call of war. He scoffs at the idea of gods, and he believes in no destiny that he cannot carve with his own hands.

It is only fitting that these two, so similar and yet so different, should face each other eventually.

_NOTES: As you've said before, Octavius is all scientific and doesn't believe in gods. Cressida knows for a fact that they exist. Interesting, no?_

**4. Irregular Orbit**

One night, he tells her about the stars and how they move, and she thinks about what her father told her about mysteries that shouldn't be discovered.

_NOTES: Just remembered that quote from the first book. Figured her father would say that pretty often._

**5. Response**

When he tells her, he is sure that she will reply in kind. He would not have taken this step if he thought that she had felt differently. That would be irrational.

But nonetheless, deep down he feels a sort of dread when she pauses before answering; despite his best efforts, he is human, and thus irrational.

_NOTES: Octavius is telling Cressida how he feels. You know him, he wouldn't say anything unless he was certain of success. But he's still human. _

**6. Permanent**

They say that death is permanent; when he sees her in the senate again, pleading her case, as elegant and stately as one can be when one is covered with battle wounds, he knows that his father will never be able to kill the idea of her.

_NOTES: I've seen a lot of fics where it's the male main character that "comes back to life". Just wanted to try reversing that_

**7. Flaw**

Her family finds her bossiness to be annoying; he respects her ability to constantly be in command.

_NOTES: Throughout the book all of her family's like, "Oh, Cressida's so bossy. That's not cool!" I didn't really like that. Isn't the Icemark supposed to accept everyone?_

**8. Huge Intelligence**

Octavius was sent to the highest schools to work with the best scholars in all of Polypontus. He has been told since birth that he is a genius, a true prodigy.

So then why the hell does a bumpkin from a frozen wasteland make him feel like a moron?

_NOTES: Octavius being Octavius. Much like the one where he confesses._

**9. Everyday Magic**

She is amazed by his formulas that tell him the secrets of the world with fathomless numbers and theorems. To her, they are more incredible than any of her father's miracles.

_NOTES: Our Octavius seems like he'd know something like that. _ Well physics is CRAAAAZY. And they're probably still at Newton and haven't done relativity or string theory yet. I've been reading about physics.

**10. Shelter**

They take cover behind rubble when some mortar explodes. It's a lost cause, and they both know it.

"You take right, I take left?" She asks.

"My shoulder is injured. I'll take left," he replies. She nods.

"It's been a pleasure serving with you."

_NOTES: I picture them fighting in a destroyed Romula (is that the name of the capital?). What happens next? You decide. _


	3. Prompts 11 through 20

**Worst**

"Do your worst," she snarls at him.

He smirks. "You forget yourself, princess. You are the one in chains, and not I. So, shall we start?"

_NOTES: Cressida gets captured. Features sadistic!Octvaius. _

**Sun and Moon**

She tells him, one night, of a song her father used to sing her. There's something to do with a beautiful maiden who becomes the moon and her lover who becomes the sun to chase after her.

She thinks, as he listens with rapt attention, that maybe they're like the lovers of the myth: always destined to be apart, no matter how hard they try to reach each other.

_NOTES: Sigh. They're so cliché sometimes._

**Making History**

This event, she thinks, is one for the history books. Not because the presence of both Polypontians and the Icemark Alliance, nor the fact that this is the first time the Polypontian Empire has ever made an ally (and not an expansion), nor even the fact that their match is made from love.

No, it's the fact that this wedding is the most expensive, ridiculous display she has ever seen. First, at least ten women attempted to drown her in lace and different fabrics. Next, she spent three hours (yes, _three hours_) choosing which flowers she wanted. And after that, an endless round of deciding on courses, selecting seating arrangements, placating worried guests, and other ridiculous things.

Suddenly, there is a knock on the door. Octavius enters so nonchalantly that she suspects that this is not his wedding at all.

"Do you want to elope?" he asks. He has always been able to read her mind.

Despite the ridiculous getup she is wearing, the torturous hours spent on meaningless tasks, she smiles and says, "Then who would pay for the flowers?"

_NOTES: I DON'T EVEN KNOW. _

**Practice**

It starts off with a friendly spar in the training grounds one day, when they are both bored.

"Fancy a go?" she asks.

"Why not," he replies, and picks up his saber.

However, they turn out to be worthy opponents. She is faster than he thought, despite the armor, and he knows every strategic move she has ever heard of, and a few more. Each time they spar, it gets better. They are constantly learning from each other, constantly changing the game.

Soon enough, they have an audience. At first, it's just the others who are on the training field at the time. Soon enough, the entire Polypontian court is out watching them at 10:00 am (he's always been incredibly punctual in everything he's done).

It amuses them both. It's just training to them. To everyone else, it's a poetic, nearly choreographed dance that is beautiful in its complexity.

**Enemy**

She is sure she hates him. There is nothing else she could possibly feel about him, is there?

_NOTES: Possibly set in the world of prompt #1._

**Perfect**

She is not one of those girls who are all roses and long, beautiful dresses and flawless faces. She cannot converse in several languages or arrange flowers or dance the latest waltz.

But he loves her all the same.

_NOTES: Oh, these two make me so cliché!_

**Keeping A Secret**

Her mother's letter, after all the diplomatic inanities and the latest news from home, asks _So, have you met anyone?_

She smiles a secret smile at Octavius as he passes by. He nods gravely, but she sees his lips twitch a little in return.

_Oh, no one in particular._

_NOTES: By "anyone", Thirrin means, "guys who catch your eye". _

**Reward**

They are walking together down some street in Romula when a particularly obsequious senator approaches them.

"Princess Cressida, would you grace our table with your presence tonight?" he asks, practically oozing greasiness.

Wincing, Cressida prepares to offer a reply, but Octavius beats her to it. "I'm sorry, but the princess and I are going to be spending the evening discussing strategies for the Artemision front."

"Oh, well, perhaps another time, your Highness?"

Cressida replies, "Yes, I'm sure."

Once the senator has walked away, Cressida asks, "So, is that what you call it nowadays? Discussing battle strategies?"

"Well, your night is occupied nonetheless."

"I'll have to find a way to repay my savior."

Octavius let loose a smirk that makes her heart turn upside-down. "I'm sure you will."

_NOTES: This made me squee while writing it. Also, Artemision are where the Huns come from in the 3__rd__ book. I think. They have to get down to business..._

_**Pavor Nocturnus **_

Octavius awoke from his dreams of the Canyon Maze to an unfamiliar place. After a few moments, he suddenly identified where he was: the royal palace. As his permanent residence was in the process of being restored after the brutal city riots, he was staying there, along with the entire Icemark entourage.

At first, he tried to stay in the too-comfortable bed that the emperor provided. However, soon enough the memories and images became too much, and he threw on a robe and stepped outside his apartments.

To his surprise, the princess of the Icemark was in the sitting area with a cup of something hot. She looked up in surprise.

"Excuse me," he said, "I didn't expect someone to be up this late."

"It's quite all right. Would you like to join me?"

Not wishing to be impolite, he nodded and sat.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked. "I believe it's sent from the Orientals."

"No, thank you."

And so they sat in silence until morning, pointedly not asking each other about the reasons for the late night excursion.

The next night, she had a cup of tea already waiting when he left his rooms.

_NOTES: Do you think it ends weirdly? I don't know. Possibly connected to WOTI. _

**Questioning**

"What is this made of?"

"What is the sine of the angle of the sun's perpendicular vector?"

"What is your battle strategy?"

"Why is the sky blue?"

"Why are you leaving?"

"Do you love me like I love you?"

Octavius has always been inquisitive.

_NOTES: Experimental. _


	4. Prompts 21 through 30

**Execution**

The girl (she cannot be called a princess now; months of torture and torment have made her almost unable to stand up, let alone be a pillar of strength for a nation) makes her way to the platform. It is stark against the grey Romulan sky. If Octavius were more romantic, he would say that the world was mourning for her (but he's not). A crowd of plebeians gathers around to see an enemy go to her doom, jeering and shouting at the pale wraith.

As she progresses towards the platform, she almost falls down three times, each time met with thrown objects and jeers until she struggles to her feet once more. Yes, his interrogations have left her weak. In the end, she couldn't even gasp out the information he wanted to hear. So she has been sent to her death.

As she slowly, painstakingly makes her way up the steps, a change comes over the girl. She becomes the princess again, head held high and proud. She looks down upon the crowd as if they are her own people, and just before the axe comes down she shouts, "The Icemark will never die!"

He respects her for this. She goes bravely, as he would have done. But he does not respect her enough to stop the axe.

Now, he and his family are one step closer to conquering the broken Icemark.

_NOTES: Follows #11, "Worst". _

**Regret**

Once she is asked to identify the body, she knows that she will always regret not acting on the feelings that she knew they both had.

_NOTES: An actual dead!Octavius_

**Irritation**

Before she had come here, she had thought her brothers' pranks were annoying. The twins always skillfully pulled off whatever little revenge they were getting on her, never getting caught (except for that one time with the newt, but that particular incident had involved their father who, when annoyed, would not hesitate to use magic on the suspects).

But that was until she had been the victim one of Octavius' infamous pranks. It had all started when she had, as revenge for something she didn't remember anymore, put a frog in his bed. He hadn't mentioned it the next morning, but she had returned to her rooms to find that someone had told some particularly drunk senators that there was a party going on there.

He got all the traditional ones, like frogs in the bed and water over the door, but he also got the non-standard ones, like replacing her inks with pieces of colored wax and hiding her quills inside pastries. It had been a week, and already she was completely paranoid, always checking around corners for some new prank. It was actually ridiculous.

"Truce?" She asked as they passed each other in the halls.

"Princess, a good general know to take what he's given. "

_NOTES: Plays off of Icemark Inboxes. Sort of. Points if you get the Office references. Octavius knows that the best snowball isn't a snowball at all – it's FEAR. _

**Forlorn Memory**

Her children love hearing stories of a man who they think is not real.

_NOTES: A continuation of #22, "Regret". She marries (Leonidas, maybe) after Octavius dies, and tells her children about him only they think he's a story, not a real person._

**Everyday Ridiculousness**

For some reason, he refuses to eat fish. It's ridiculous and unlike him, as she's been assured that it's for completely irrational reasons.

It's also unfairly adorable.

_NOTES: I don't know. Just something cute. _

**Dying**

They secretly hope that they will die together of old age. But they both know that the life of a soldier is short, and the life of a peacemaker is even shorter.

_NOTES: ... I can see them both dying by an assassin because they're changing things. _

**Personality**

He is like a porcupine, something she once saw in the Grand Romulan Zoo: all prickly on the outside, all soft and cuddly once you get past the spikes.

_NOTES: This is dedicated to a person who knows who they are. _

**Librarian**

Octavius likes spending time in the school's library. It's quiet, and full of things he can learn. It's also a place where he can stay away from people (his father and brother) as much as possible. He's always been a loner.

That's why he's surprised when a girl sits at his table. She's beautiful, with close-cropped red hair and emerald green eyes.

He's about to ask her what she's doing here when she says, "I see you here every day, and I just wanted to say hi."

He's a little wary about her now. He's not worried, per se, because he was a champion boxer for most of middle school and, despite her athletic form, he is much larger than her.

Nonetheless, just as he's about to say something, she hastily modifies her previous sentence. "Not creepily or anything! I'm the assistant librarian here, and you come in any day, so I can't help but notice you, not that you're particularly disturbing or anything, and now I'm rambling, so I'll shut up."

He smiles, against his will. She's cute, even when she's rambling. "I'm Octavius."

"I'm Cressida. It's nice meeting you, Octavius."

_NOTES: I wanted to try my hand at high school!Icemark._

**Inconvenience**

She is out of breath when she reaches the chamber where the Senate is meeting today.

"Where have you been, princess? The meeting started several minutes ago," says one of the senators.

"Quite sorry, Senator Eurus."

After the meeting is done, she goes up to that... well, she cannot think of words strong enough to describe him, and says, "General Octavius, thank you so much for suggesting that alternate route. It certainly was... scenic."

He smirks, that insufferable little... "It is my pleasure, princess. Just tell me any time you need to know the directions to another of the senate's meeting rooms. There are quite a few."

_NOTES: Part of the continuity with #1, "Introduction", and #15, "Enemy". _

**Invalid**

"I'm sorry, princess, but just because you said so doesn't make me obligated to get you those cakes you love so much."

_NOTES: Pure silliness._


	5. Prompts 31 through 40

**Officer**

"Lieutenant Pardus, what exactly are you doing?"

Cressida jumps. She knows she is not supposed to be in here. However, her mission was clear: discover the Empire's plans to fuel the Icemark's rebellion against it.

So far, everything had gone according to plan. She had infiltrated the army, disguised as a man. She had gotten through basic training and into a field office in Canyon Maze. She had gained the trust of her commander, Octavius Bellorum. The only thing that wasn't going according to plan was her commander finding her looking through the missives sent to him by his father.

"Sir! I was, um, looking for your quill! You said you wanted it, right?"

"Yes, I did. But that's not why you're here, is it." He is not asking a question.

"I don't know what you mean, sir." She braces herself to lie.

"Oh, you know exactly what I mean, Lieutenant. Or should I say spy?"

She draws her knife, prepared to kill herself rather than be tortured for information. The man who she has gotten to know values rationality more than anything else. It wouldn't be rational to support an outnumbered, outgunned, dying rebellion. So he will torture her, and once he has squeezed all the possible information out of her broken body, he will kill her. All she can do now is try to go honorably.

"No, wait! I am on your side," he says, before she can bring down her sword.

"What?" she exclaims, accidentally allowing her female voice to come through. He doesn't notice, though he normally prides himself on his observation skills.

"I wish to join your cause."

"How can I know that?"

He thinks for a moment. "I will tell you all the exact battle plans I have ever heard from my father, as well as the strategies I have come up with to defeat them."

She is hesitant to accept his help. She does not trust this man she has gotten to know. However, the Alliance needs friends.

"Welcome to the Icemark Alliance."

_NOTES: A world where the Icemark was conquered. The Icemark royalty went into hiding, and the Alliance went underground. I don't know why Octavius is particularly sympathetic to the Alliance's cause; perhaps he's seen the cruelty inflicted by Bellorum on the resisting country? _

_Just watched "Mulan". Can you tell?_

_Also, "Pardus", as Panthera pardus is the scientific name for leopard!_

**Exam**

Every time he notices her watching him, he feels like his professors are quizzing him on something he doesn't know particularly well.

But that's all right. He's always loved challenges.

_NOTES: Possibly set in what I'm going to call the "Meetings" Universe, i.e. the world of #1 and etc.___

**Special**

He had never had such a competent nemesis before. She was smart, athletic, opinionated, and beautiful. She knew her way about her universe, and he knew his way about his. She was a delight to tangle with. He always looked forward to their next bouts, when they were both primed up with ferocious energy.

Yes, she was a find indeed.

_NOTES: Written at 11:51 pm, so it kind of got away from me._

**Phenomena**

When she touched him, there was some kind of spark. Although he wracks his brain, Octavius cannot determine what it came from. Residual static from walking across the marble floors? "Magic" left over from when her father last touched her?

He resolves to touch her as much as possible, to further explore this strange phenomenon that has been caused by an accidental brush against her.

_NOTES: Octavius is totally using the scientific method as an excuse to touch Cressida. _

**Bond**

Sometimes, she wishes that they had no ties to country or family. Perhaps then, she thinks only when everyone else is asleep, maybe they might have really been together, free from all this confusion and guilt from secret liaisons in empty rooms. They might have carved out an existence, real, fraught with joy and sorrow and life.

She thinks this only when everyone else is asleep, even him, so that no one will hear her impossible wishes.

_NOTES: ANGST. _

**Encrypted**

Every time they talk, she feels as if he's hiding something he expects her to discover in his speech. She's not quite sure how he does it, but somehow he looks at her as if he expects her to get something, then smirks when she doesn't. It's the proverbial minefield.

It makes her want to wipe that smirk off his face with both her fists and her lips. It's really quite confusing.

_NOTES: ... _

**Pen and Paper**

There are no love letters to be exchanged. When they leave each other, neither one pores over past notes, rereading and rereading each precious word.

Instead, they locate the other in memories, and to them, it is so much sweeter (and safer) when they see each other again.

_NOTES: Paranoid!CresOctopus?_

**Epic fail**

It's so unlike him that she just stares for a second, mind boggled. The ever-graceful, fluid Octavius, falling head over heels on a banana peel? It's so impossible that he has a few seconds (in which he reassures himself no one saw him) before she falls over and starts crying with laughter.

_NOTES: I just see this image of Octavius just absolutely wiping out on a banana peel. It's hysterical. _

**Moment in Time**

She realizes that she's in love with him at a completely insignificant moment. They pass each other in the halls; she smiles in greeting, he nods, and then BAM! it hits her: _I'm completely in love with you_.

_Holy shit._

_NOTES: ... _

**Knife**

She notices that he is always armed, no matter what. There's always a stiletto strapped to his thigh, or an inconspicuous pistol on his back. The women who have been with him think he's paranoid.

She thinks it's sexy.

_NOTES: I actually LOL'd when I wrote this._


	6. Prompts 41 through 50

**Game**

To him, this competition for the emperor's throne is all just a game. A game of chess, if you will. Nothing more than an amusing diversion for the time being.

And she is one of the more fascinating pieces. A bishop, maybe? She moves in such direct, cutting motions, every action precise and sure. Or rather a knight? She always manages to surprise him. Perhaps she is the queen. Yes, that is the most fitting. The most powerful piece on the board, protecting the king, moving however she wants to.

He will have fun playing with her.

_NOTES. From the "Meetings" Universe. Double. Entendre. _

**Address**

They both have very official titles. In public, she is Cressida Aethelflaed Elemnestra Strong-In-The-Arm Lindenshield, Striking Eagle, and he is Octavius Domitian Lycurgus Bellorum, General of the Eastern Army.

In private they are merely Cressida and Octavius.

_NOTES: _

**Success**

When she responds with a smile and a kiss, he knows that it was worth the anxiety.

_NOTES: A direct continuation of #5, "Response"._

**67%**

The curse of being a soldier, he thinks, is that 1/3 of a veteran is constantly devoted to scouting the surroundings for enemies, or traps, or attacks.

But that's all right, because he can still have 2/3 of himself focused on her.

_NOTES: D'awww. _

**Power**

When he sees her father at work, he can only quote from something half-remembered: "there is more to heaven and earth than your philosophy."

_NOTES: Shakespeare! Also, crappy!_

**Pattern**

He is TOTALLY not her type. If she had one, that is.

Her first crush was a young man working in the hospital, perhaps five years older than her at the time. He was always nice to her, and would always be accommodating if she came by to talk about things. THAT ended when his mother got ill and he had to return home, never to be seen again.

Next there was the shy young stable-hand who tried to kiss her and then ran off. He would blush whenever he looked at her and was very sweet. Her brothers put an end to that when they tied him to a chair and interrogated him on their relationship.

And so it went on, in a trail of boys (they were never really men) who were sweet, and nice, and romantic. They would talk about interesting things, and they would blush, and give her flowers, and take her on walks. Leonidas epitomized this type of boy. He stuttered (stuttered!) in her presence. Whenever they went "walking" he would bring her flowers first. He was probably the sweetest guy she'd ever known.

Octavius is not her type at all. He's not sweet; in fact, he barely opens his mouth at all. When he does, she disagrees with half of the things he says. He never gets her flowers, or takes her walking, or blushes when she's around (well, there was that one time...)

What he does do, though, is treat her like a woman AND an equal at the same time. The other boys would treat her like a girl, or a porcelain object to be held delicately to prevent breaking. At some times, it made her feel special, like a real girl, because sometimes she felt that no one saw the breasts under her shirt. But Octavius somehow manages to strike the perfect balance. And she's not just a GIRL with him; she's a woman, grown up, with a woman's desires and hopes and dreams. She's also his equal in every way, and he acts like it. Every action denotes respect and not condescension (a favorite of those boys she had gone walking with before).

She wonders why she didn't try his type before, until she remembers that there's no one quite like him.

_NOTES: Yeah, Leonidas never seemed to work for Cressida. Too wussy? Perhaps. Also: Cressida TOTALLY has a type. And I've been informed that her type is Batman.___

**Slaughterhouse**

When the guard travels through the desecrated streets of Romula, they happen upon a battlefield. Bodies of the enemy litter the ground, all defeated by the pair that lies together in the middle of the carnage, together until the end.

They become a myth: two lovers defending their city against insurmountable odds, dying together once their job is complete.

_NOTES: Continuation of #10, "Shelter". SO DEPPRESSING OMG. BUT ALSO BADASS._

**Father**

He's glad she never met his father.

She couldn't agree more.

_NOTES: Ha ha? _

**Mother**

He will never admit it out loud, but he is absolutely terrified of her mother. Her father is a pushover, though no one will ever admit it. Although he's like a mother bear if his children get in serious danger, Octavius knows that Oskan is never a real threat. It's Thirrin who concerns him.

Thirrin Lindenshield, who smashed an army that had never seen defeat, Thirrin Lindenshield who could freeze a man with a glare from fifty paces, Thirrin Lindenshield who is _absolutely terrifying_.

Thirrin Lindenshield will never admit it, but she absolutely loves having such power over her son-in-law.

_NOTES: Ha ha ha?_

**Son**

When their son is born, he'll pace in front of her door. There will be a literal trench worn in by the time she's done.

But once it's over, he'll come in and give her one of the brightest smiles she's ever seen.

But that's not for a few years.

_NOTES: This is kind of crap._


	7. Prompts 51 through 60

**Daughter**

For her entire life, everyone has compared her to her mother. Same hair, same eyes, same domineering personality.

He doesn't see it. That's why she loves him.

_NOTES: Throughout the book, everyone's like "OMG she's so like Thirrin only brattier!" So... that's where this came from._

**Change in the Weather**

One moment they're fighting over an important political issue. They're raging at each other. It's getting so heated that one can almost see the sparks flying off of them.

The next they're wrapped in a passionate kiss, trying to see who win at this epic game of tonsil hockey.

_NOTES: Perhaps from the "Meetings" Universe?_

**Hangover**

Their countries' pasts were always with them, like a shadow reminding them of the gap between them.

_NOTES: I'm using a different definition of hangover, or something leftover, i.e. "a hangover from the '60s"._

**Coat**

She wears responsibility well, like a comfortable cloak.

He wears responsibility ill, like a child putting on his father's clothes.

_NOTES: Blah. But also SYMBOLISM!_

**Whole**

Neither of them believes in the concept of soul mates.

It's too ridiculous for his science to comprehend (Really? One soul split into two people?), and it's too romantic for her sensible reasonabilities (She has no time for romance, after all).

Even when they're together they don't believe in soul mates. Octavius rationalizes it (it's just a mix of endorphins creating a chemical that brings him pleasure) and she's never been one to uselessly over think things (unlike him).

Neither of them believes in the concept of soul mates, so it's ironic that everyone in their general vicinity seems to believe that they were destined to be together.

_NOTES:_

**Safety First**

It takes time for her to convince him that love isn't "some chemical cocktail you can cook up in your lab."

_NOTES: Because the words "Safety First" make me think of a poster in the chemistry lab. You know, the one that says, "Carol didn't use her safety goggles... and now she never will!" _

_Quote based off something Bones-related I read._

**Invasion**

He's been preparing for this all his life.

From the time he was born, his father has been telling him about the monstrous north; how full of horrors, how ready to be cleansed, how it had _almost_ fallen into the hands of his army. He grew up with stories of horrifying creatures that would drink your blood, huge talking leopards, and shaggy beasts from the depths of hell. It is his birthright to take this land his father never could.

Nothing can stop him now.

_NOTES: I'm not quite sure how old the Bellorum children are. I estimated that Scipio got busy after he returned from the Icemark in defeat, but you never know! _

**Alternate Universe **

Kristina Littlefield (call her Kris) loved her job. No, really, she did! Maybe if she kept telling herself that, as she power walked (she'd be running if she didn't have heels on) to work that morning, she'd really mean it.

After the necessary check-in (going through the scanner, getting her bags checked, "How are you this morning, Senator Littlefield?"), she hurried to the floor, only to be met by a most annoying colleague.

"How are you this morning, Kris?" asked Senator Vincent Bell, the most frustrating of her opponents on the floor.

"Fine, Senator Bell. And would you please call me senator? I worked hard to get that title."

"I'm sure you did. Have you looked at the list of issues today?"

Kris frowned. "Yes, I did. What about it?"

"Did you happen to notice the call to arms from Geisvania? The King and Queen are our allies."

She scrutinized him for a moment. "Am I talking to you, or your father?"

"Now, Kris, do I really look old enough to be my father?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

They shared a polite little laugh before Bell continued. "You're talking to me, Kris, and frankly, I think we should help them. We made a pact with them, and even if they do get slaughtered by the Artemisians, they'll be sure to come after us when they're done."

"No, no, you're right. I've just never trusted the King and Queen over there. Now, if it were Amostan, I'd say go right ahead. But we've never been on quite friendly terms with Geisvania. But if you bring it up on the floor, I'll support it."

Bell nodded. "Good to know. See you on the floor, Kris."

"It's Senator Littlefield!"

_NOTES: I decided to go a little less traditional with this one. Yes, Cressida (Kristina Littlefield) and Octavius (Vincent Bell) are in the US Congress!_

_I imagine that Thirrin (Teresa Littlefield; she kept her last name and the family took it) was a famous Congresswoman herself, if not the president or Secretary of State, while Oskan (Oscar Wellington) was a well-loved doctor, the best in the country. Tharaman (Arthur Truman) was Thirrin's advisor and campaign manager, and Grishmak (Greg Macintosh) was Public Relations. __Maggiore (Magnus Todd) is advisor to Thirrin, Redrought (Roger Littlefield) was a general who was killed in a bomb strike, Olememnon (Oliver Basil) is a football coach, and Elemnestra (Eleanor Basil) used to teach self-defense and was possibly the governor of New York. _

_Leonidas (Leonard Andrews__) might be Kris' aid or something (who happens to have a crush on her). Mekhmet (Mekhmet Nasrid) is a foreign ambassador who also happens to be her little brother Sharley's (Charlie Littlefield) lover. Maybe. Medea (Maddie Littlefield) is the head of a corporation (and possibly an evil scientist, or so her family thinks; at least the corporation is shady) and Cerdic and Eodred (Cedric and Eddie Littlefield) are probably high up in the army (or, like Fred and George, prank store owners). I THINK that's all of the Icemark side._

_Scipio Bellorum (Scott Bell) was a famous, war-hungry general, although he aspired to be Secretary of Defense or President, because he wouldn't stop at the cabinet. He might have been part of the whole Cold War shenanigans. Sulla (Sullivan Bell) followed in his father's footsteps. T__he Emperor, Tristus Angellius Lycurnum Cicero (Tristan Cicero) was Secretary of Navy, now replaced by the inexperienced Titus (Thomas Poll). There's also the Doge (I don't think he really has a name, so I'll call him Vito Machiavelli), who's the director of the CIA._

_Land-of-the-Ghosts is Geisvania because "geist" is ghost, and the Desert Kingdom is Amostan because "ammos" (transliterated) is sand in Greek._

**Recollection**

Blurred by time, their past together seems brighter than the present.

_NOTES: Part of the UBERDEPPRESSING #22 and #24 continuum._

**Textbook**

When she sees him on one sunny morning, he is looking worried. There's a slight pucker to his brow, and his lips are downturned a little more than usual.

"What's wrong?" she asks, concerned. It's not often that he shows much emotion at all, let alone worry.

"I think I have Ebola."

"Ebo-WHAT?"

"Ebola. I have a textbook case. Increased heart rate, copious amounts of random sweating, blushing. Next step is bleeding through the dermis."

She almost smiles, but then contains herself. "Octavius, you don't have Ebola."

"What do I have then?"

"You have a textbook case of lovesickness. There's only one cure."

"What?"

She kisses him, slow and deep. "Feeling better?"

"Not quite yet."

"Then I believe you need another dose."

_NOTES: I totally didn't research the actual symptoms of Ebola. I've been informed that they're so much creepier than that (apparently, they're what you'd get if "you turned NIGHTMARES into a disease")._


	8. Prompts 61 through 70

**Nonsense**

She used to believe that being told she was beautiful was the best compliment. No one EVER really told her that, besides the boys who would "go walking" with her.

Now she knows that the real compliments are the rare gems from his mouth. She always knows he's telling her the truth.

_NOTES: Totally connected to #46, "Pattern"._

**Lies**

During the heat of the moment, dyed red with lust, she'll tell her husband she loves him.

_NOTES: Connected to #22, #24, and #59, or what I'm calling "DEATH TO ALL HAPPINESS" series._

**Surname**

She, amongst her long train of names, is the Striking Eagle. She swoops down upon her prey with a shriek, ripping them into elegant ribbons of death.

He is pretty sure that he never saw her coming.

_NOTES: Did you see the METAPHOR? That SYMBOLIZES something? Hint, it's in the first sentence!_

**No Way Out**

It's like a horrible nightmare of a life that she can't escape from. Inside, she keeps calling out his name, but nobody answers.

She's sure that one day she'll wake up, and he'll be right next to her.

_NOTES: Sad. Part of the "DEATH TO ALL HAPPINESS" series._

**Mispronunciations**

He absolutely HATES it when people call his "Oct-ah-vis" rather than "Oc-ta-vi-us". Of course, he doesn't show it in public. He's too polite. But on the inside, he throws a little (READ: big) temper tantrum.

Thank Deus Imperator she's never called him that.

_NOTES: This is NONSENSE. _

**Running Away**

She believes that there is no honor in retreat. Better to die than to run like a coward.

Nonetheless, she beats a hasty retreat when she learns that he may feel more for her than previously suspected.

_NOTES: Emotionally crippled!Cressida._

**Negotiation**

He is surprised when a clean, beautiful girl comes in. He was expected a full-grown barbarian, for intimidation.

Instead, the person on the opposite side of the room is clean-cut. If she is a barbarian, she is a neat one, for her ice-blue tunic is spotless, and her hair is shining and well coiffed. Her skin is fair and, unlike he originally suspected, not covered in dirt. There's an intelligent gleam to her eye, something that lets him know that she is an opponent to be treated with respect and not condescension.

They both know why they're there. He starts immediately with courtesies, attempting to throw her off balance.

"Good afternoon, my lady. You look quite beautiful, though I do not have the pleasure of knowing your name."

"Cut the crap, Polypontian," she snaps. She says "Polypontian" like it's a curse, he notes.

"All I ask is your name, my lady."

"I am Cressida Aethelflaed Elemnestra Strong-In-The-Arm Lindenshield, Striking Eagle, Crown Princess of the Icemark. And you?" There is the barest trace of civility in her speech. For a princess, she is not very gentle.

"I am Octavius Domitian Lycurgus Bellorum, General of the Southern Army."

"_Bellorum_," she spits out, with even more acid than when she said "Polypontian".

"Well, shall we get down to business then?" He asks.

She straightens up and assumes a regal air, surprising him. "I am willing to put aside my... personal grievances in terms of an agreement."

"Well, then. To the matter at hand: negotiating the terms of peace between the Polypontian Empire and the Icemark Alliance."

_NOTES: And alternate version of #31, "Officer". Same situation, with the rebel Alliance versus the occupying Empire, only Cressida never went on the mission and Octavius never switched sides. They're negotiating peace!_

**Shades of Gray**

Sometimes they think they are neither of Polypontus nor of the Icemark. Rather, they are an independent force, striving for peace.

_NOTES: I don't even think this fits the prompt._

**Unsettling Revelations**

She shivers at the thought that he likes her. All boys have cooties!

_NOTES: Because I'm crazy, here's Icemark in preschool. What am I on. _

**Hypocrite**

One day in the Senate, Cressida denounces the practice of slavery in the Empire. She talks for hours about the importance of freedom, ranting about how important it is for a person to be free to do what they wish.

_For someone who claims to so believe in personal freedoms, _he thinks, for once not amused by the naïve princess' ideals, _she is fairly excellent at denying herself her rights._

_NOTES: OK, this bears some explanation. This is the "Octavius is mischievous, political, and toying with the world!" universe, like the one featured in #41, "Game". My thinking is that Cressida, too busy trying to reconstruct the Empire as well as being concerned with her propriety and reputation, has denied her feelings for Octavius and refuses to be with him. Her sentiments (or ones like them; I don't know if they're directly connected to this piece) can be seen in #15, "Enemy", #35, "Bond", #53, "Hangover", and #66, "Running Away". Octavius is pissed because he knows that she likes him, but won't do anything about it because she's basically afraid. _


	9. Prompts 71 through 80

**Fork in the Road**

"I'll never tell you anything!" he snarls at her, lying incapacitated on the battlefield, unable to move.

Here is where history splits.

In one world, she stares at him a second before being consumed by her rage, pushing her into a violent fit which ends with him just another mutilated corpse amongst the thousands of others. She feels nothing afterwards.

In the other, she sighs, reigns in herself, and calls for a doctor right after he passes out. She swears to herself that when he wakes up, he'll be greeted by a bevy of questions, each one harder than the last.

The only thing that separates these worlds is that in the second one, she has her mother behind her, reminding her of her humanity. In the first, the loss of a mother becomes much more traumatizing than the loss of a beloved brother.

It's all in how the cards fall.

_NOTES: Perhaps this is where WOTI will go next? Inspired by an A:TLA story._

**Snow**

He has never seen so much snow in his life. Sure, Romula had a few flurries every once in a while, leaving the city under a thin film of white. Out here, though, is a different matter.

At first, he had thought it was pretty. The entire world was a pure white. After a while, he learned. Snow is everywhere, and gets in EVERYTHING. It's constantly cold, and not even the fire can warm him up. He thinks he's forgotten what "warm" feels like.

The sooner he can get out of this bloody country, the better.

_NOTES: No Cressida, but tons of snow!_

**Only Human**

She wishes she could have known. She wishes that she could have saved him.

She is (and was) only human, so her nightmares will forever be watching him fall, unable to stop him.

_NOTES: "DEATH TO ALL HAPPINESS" continuum._

**Difficulty**

He has never been the most... social being. He leaves that up to Sulla, the manipulating sociopath.

He's always been good with his math, and with his physics. He understands the universe.

He does not, however, understand the people living in it.

_NOTES: There are two versions of Octavius in my mind. One is completely inexperienced sexually and has no idea whatsoever how to relate to people. He's skilled in math, science, and fighting, but has no people skills. He's very serious. The other is more nuanced. He's good at politics and fighting, and has more of a devious side. He also has more sexual experience._

_This Octavius is obviously the first. These two versions populate my stories, and the one in WOTI, created by Boomerang Fish and I, is kind of a mix (and the basis) of the two versions of Octavius (Also, Batman. We love Batman.). See if you can guess which story is which!_

**Ally**

They would have been enemies in any other situation.

In the zombie apocalypse, they are unwitting allies, and then later, loyal friends.

_NOTES: And then later, cuddle buddies? You decide! Based on a conversation between Boomerang Fish and I (and also because we both want to see Cressida and Octavius fighting zombies). _

**Plan**

She meant to attack him in the Senate on his anti-Artemision policy.

He meant to argue and win (the Senate has been in his pocket since day one).

She meant to find him afterwards to unleash her frustration at him.

He meant to stay calm and annoy her even more.

She didn't mean to kiss him.

He didn't mean to kiss back.

She didn't mean to get into an insane relationship that was going nowhere.

He didn't mean to fall in love with her.

She didn't mean to fall in love with him.

He didn't mean to leave her.

She did.

_NOTES: I don't know. It came out differently than I expected._

**Praise**

"Cressida! You did it! You completely destroyed them! You've WON THE WAR!"

She had expected it to feel better.

_NOTES: Possibly connected to #67, "Negotiation"._

**Can You Hear Me?**

She tells him she's leaving. She tells him she never wants to see him again.

He doesn't hear her silent _I'm sorry_.

_NOTES: I can't decide if she's leaving him because she's too dangerous to be around, or because she's just pissed at him._

**Politician**

She's a _good_ politician. She doesn't accept (or give) bribes, she stays true to what she promises, and she fights for justice. She's what all the people want: a lawmaker in shining armor.

He's a good politician. He accepts and gives bribes, he tells lies to placate his listeners, and he works only for himself. He's slick and slimy, and he always gets what he wants.

It's ironic that they work so well together. They're an unstoppable force when they team up, pushing a bill through the Senate at lightning speeds, getting work done. It's a pity they don't work together more often.

_NOTES: Octavius as the ruthless politician. THEY ARE ON A TEAM._

**Honoring**

Even though she's moved on with her life, she gets blind drunk on every anniversary of his death.

_NOTES: A twisted form of honoring, no? From the "DEATH TO ALL HAPPINESS" continuum._


	10. Prompts 81 through 90

**Wind**

Sometimes she feels like a little girl, swept away by the ferocious winds of war.

_NOTES: ..._

**River**

Whenever she feels like she's about to drown in her life, he always comes around to pull her out of the treacherous waters.

_NOTES: B'aww._

**Mischief Managed**

They're in the middle of a fairly frustrating fight. It's one of those days where he's not giving an inch, and she's in some weird mood that he can't decipher. So far, they've been at it for an hour, and neither one has gotten a hit.

Finally, he disengages for a second, pulling back so he can end this fight. She tenses up as he charges, and she...

... Lifts up her tunic, armor and all. As he stands there, amazed during this vastly educational moment, she scores a hit.

He barely even notices the fact that he's lost the match.

_NOTES: Oh, Cressida. ;-)_

**Sensual**

When she brushes past him in the hall on the morning after, she does so with undeniable coyness.

"Good morning, General," she says, in a voice that sounds like butter sliding over a knife.

He has to clear his throat before he answers. "Good morning, Princess." It comes out rough, like he's sand papered his throat.

"Having a problem with your throat, General?" she asks.

He can't wait to get her alone again.

_NOTES: Shenanigans._

**Heritage**

He was told, growing up, that the world was his.

It showed in the way he walked.

_NOTES: I bet that Scipio was always like, "You are better than anyone else, son!"_

**Slogan**

Like every great family in the Empire, the Bellorums have their family words:

_Give no quarter._

_NOTES: Influenced by too much "Game of Thrones"._

**Danger Ahead**

There's one night in particular that they don't tell each other.

It's the same as any other night, to start. It's been a long day, full of politics, protecting the Empire and its allies against the world and themselves, and all they want to do is rest. As always, though, their nightmares decide differently.

This time, he's already awake when she comes from her rooms, disturbed by dreams of the men she's killed. They've been doing this for a while now, so he knows to have tea waiting for her.

They sit in companionable silence until she breaks it. "Octavius, have you ever thought about what you'll do when this is over?"

"When what is over?"

"_This_. You know. Once we're done rebuilding your country."

"Oh. I do not know. I have not really thought about it."

She sighs. "I guess I'll return to the Icemark. Marry someone from a neighboring kingdom. Bear a few children. Rule for many years. Die valiantly on a battlefield."

"I suppose I'll retire and live in peace until the Empire needs me again. Why?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm feeling morbid right now."

She pauses. "Octavius?"

"Yes?"

"Do you... will you still visit me? When we're old and grey and no one needs us any more?"

"Of course."

They sit in companionable silence for a while longer, until they both excuse themselves for sleep they do not end up getting.

Neither knows what will happen tomorrow. If they did, they would have said something different.

_NOTES: Connected to #19, "Pavour Nocturnus". So what happens tomorrow? Personally, I think that Octavius dies or something. Maybe it's a preview to the "DEATH TO ALL HAPPINESS" series? _

**Seeking Solace**

She never tells her husband that she only kisses him because she sees someone else when she does.

_NOTES: Part of the "DEATH TO ALL HAPPINESS" continuum. God, I love torturing these characters. In reality, Cressida would probably move on with her life. However, for the sake of drama, I've made it into a humorless parody of what it should be! Enjoy._

**Insanity**

There's a little bit of madness in all the Bellorums. It lurks, hidden, in their incredibly rational minds, waiting until the right moment to unleash itself.

And when it does, the rational man turns into a slavering beast.

_NOTES: It really weirded me out that Hill said that Scipio could control his madness. Isn't the nature of madness that it is uncontrollable?_

**Smile**

Octavius' smiles are rare, and never appear unless earned. That makes them all the sweeter, because when they appear it's like the sun has come out from the clouds, and she made it happen.

Cressida thinks that she would like to make his smile appear more often.

_NOTES: SO CLICHÉ OMG._


	11. Prompts 91 through 100

**Never Again**

Seeing her land broken and bowed under the threat of a foreign leader makes Cressida promise herself, _never again._

_NOTES: HOLY CRAP GUYS WE'RE ON SINGLE DIGITS!_

**Burning**

Sometimes it feels like he's set her on fire. Every little look he sends her makes the fire smolder and burn, and every touch sends little sparks through her skin. It makes her want to grab him, and make the fire spread until she's part of it, nothing but the blazing, mindless goddess of heat.

She wonders if (hopes that) it does the same to him.

_NOTES: A tad bit more adult. _

**Patience**

_I am a stone. No, I am a deep, deep pool of water. Calm. Still, _Octavius reminded himself as Cressida ranted at him.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, APPROVING THAT BILL?"

"Now, Cressida, you know-"

"YOUR HIGHNESS!"

"You Highness. It will please the aristocrats. You know how they complain."

"WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT ARE THE SMALL PEOPLE! YOU KNOW, THE ONES YOU SWORE TO DEFEND?"

_A deep, deep pool of water. Yeah._

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"

_NOTES: I don't even know why Cressida's yelling at Octavius. That's kind of sad._

**Dead Wrong**

He tells her that she doesn't care about him.

She's inclined to prove him wrong.

_NOTES: With a kiss, right Cressida?_

**Lovely**

She fumes silently in a corner. Gods damn it, she got dressed up in this stupid thing to throw him off balance! Yet when she came in, he didn't say a single word to her! She put on this thrice-damned monkey suit, all blue Oriental silks with its stupid _drapings_ and embroidered _finery_ but she doesn't even get a reaction? Well, he can go die in a hole for all she cares; she is never wearing this cursed thing again!

Just as she prepares to leave, he happens to drift over to her corner and say, "Princess, you look beautiful tonight."

_Well_. Perhaps this thing isn't quite so awful after all.

_NOTES: Cressida totally didn't wear the dress to throw him off balance. Part of the continuum where Octavius is kind of a jerk._

**Weakness**

The moment she walks in, he is struck completely dumb. She looks absolutely gorgeous. There are no words that can really describe what he is seeing.

Before, she was merely a game piece, a sexless thing to play with. She was almost one of the senators, old, fun to manipulate, and absolutely not a real person. Now he can see that he was totally wrong.

Her womanly figure, usually hidden under decorative armor, is bared by the revealing silk dress. The subtle lines of the dress hint at even the parts of her that aren't expressly shown. Faint embroideries dance across the fabric, bestowing a sort of mysticism upon the princess. Someone has put a little makeup on her, all smoky eyes and cherry lips. Her hair, normally pulled back in a no-nonsense bun, is down on her back, the effortless red-gold curls calling all eyes to her. She is beautiful tonight. So beautiful he can barely focus.

He's always had a certain... fondness for women, and a weakness for power, so she, as an amalgamation of the two, is most definitely his Achilles heel.

_NOTES: I don't even KNOW. I was planning something TOTALLY different for this, but #95, "Lovely", just totally took over my brain, so THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. And yes, this is connected to "Lovely". It's Octavius' POV!_

**Advantage**

She grew up in a loving family, surrounded by friends and teachers who picked her up when she fell and supported her when she was weak.

He grew up with the best tutors money can buy, constant weapons training, and a wisp of a mother.

It is clear to him who had the better upbringing.

_NOTES: Why did I go for childhood for "Advantage"? Well, for one I was kind of stuck with this one. Also, in the Nurture vs. Nature debate, I fall on the side of nurture, so to me, Octavius DOES actually have a disadvantage in his upbringing. So there. A view into the crazy mind of an author._

**Puzzle**

Once, when his uncle (never his father) was in a good mood (drunk), he had told Octavius something important.

"_There are two types of women in this world: the ones you understand, and the ones you don't. The ones you understand will be nice, and you'll have a lot of fun with them, but they'll never last._

"_One day, you'll meet a girl who you don't. She'll drive you absolutely crazy. But you'll let her."_

He forgets this until one day, sitting across the Senate floor, is Cressida Lindenshield, and despite the fact that he controls all the pieces in the game, she's still a mystery.

_NOTES: Scipio didn't seem like he would go about dispensing wisdom. Well, except for how to stone cold murder a dude with your bare hands. Inspired by another fic I read._

**Truth**

"Do you love me?" he asks one night, as they are sitting with their tea.

"No," she says, but he can see the truth in her eyes.

_NOTES: Did you see what I did there, with the JUXTAPOSITION? I'm so clever!_

_One more left!_

**Finished**

It doesn't matter that they'll probably die a bloody, restless death. All they know is that they'll stand together until the end, supporting each other until death comes a-knocking.

And, despite everyone's expectations (and a few people's hopes), they do in fact die of old age, together in their bed, with a dozen fat grandchildren.

_NOTES: And I'm done! This bloody thing was a month in the making, so believe me, it feels good. None of it would have happened, though, without my darling beta, Boomerang Fish. Yep, she reviewed each of these little drabbles one a time (all 100 of them, plus a few extra!) without complaint. So I give my thanks to her!_


End file.
